Traditional self-serve car washes have a rigid flow-thru handle for a foam brush. The customer can use the brush and handle to clean a car. The conventional rigid handle has the foam brush attached to it and is readily available to a customer with or without payment. Besides having to pay for proper use of the foam brush there are many ways for a customer to misuse and abuse the brush without payment. Due to the nature of a self-serve car wash, which is often unattended, a customer can decide if he will make a proper payment and use of the foam brush. If the customer decides to utilize a brush without payment, there is nothing stopping them from doing so. The conventional foam system and rigid flow-thru handle has always frustrated owners and managers of self-serve car washes. A confrontational or otherwise uncomfortable conversation between an owner and a customer can occur when a customer is misusing and abusing a brush without payment. The nature of a self-serve car wash is that it is selling a timed and unattended service. Therefore, misuse and abuse of the rigid foam brush handle has historically cost car wash owners lost revenue and profits.
Traditional rigid flow-thru foam brush handles are susceptible to customer abuse and misuse. The customer is usually informed (by one or more signs that are often not read) to first rinse the brush of any dirt that may be on the brush from a previous customer's use. This instruction is necessary because when a brush has been used improperly by a preceding customer it could possibly have dirt and other abrasive matter trapped within its bristles. The traditional foam brush system and handle can be misused and abused in a variety of ways. It can be used dry on wheels, used to sweep a pick-up truck bed, used as a snow brush and even used to clean a vehicle's painted surface. As a wet brush, after time has expired on a meter, many customers continue to spread loaded foam onto a vehicle and detail every nook and cranny again without proper payment. Also, there are foam dipper users who pick-up foam from the floor and continue to use the brush on tires, wheels, chrome and other vehicle areas without payment. There also are tag teamers (two people) users who use a high pressure wand and the foam brush (dry and without foam) simultaneously. The service selection switch on the money and time meter box allows only one tool within a car wash bay to be activated at a time. When the brush and the high pressure wand are being utilized simultaneously the foam brush is being used without proper payment and chemicals. The traditional rigid foam brush handle allows for a variety of improper use and abuse because of the very nature of its design.
The present invention is a self-serve car wash flow through foam activated mechanical brush handle that is flexible at the brush end so that the brush is rendered unusable until the time usage of the brush is purchased and a foam brush cycle is selected. Once this occurs, the foam begins to flow through the handle and it becomes rigid and fully useful to safely clean a vehicle's surface.
The car wash foam brush handle renders the actual brush head that is used for cleaning and attached to the car wash foam brush handle inoperable until a customer inserts payment into a timing meter and selects the “foam brush” as a paid service. The car wash foam brush handle attaches to a foam brush head with bristles that then wobbles, bends and flops back and forth when a customer attempts to use it in an inactive or unpaid for condition. Each time scrubbing pressure is applied to the car wash foam brush handle without payment the car wash brush flexes away from a surface to be cleaned. When a customer decides to insert the proper payment the car wash foam brush handle becomes activated and locks into a rigid condition and becomes fully useful.
A car wash water brush handle is activated by water instead of foam. The car wash water brush includes a different design for operation at higher pressure. A car wash foam brush handle is operated at a pressure of 50 psi and the car wash water brush handle is operated at a pressure of 90 psi.
The present invention generally relates to a car wash foam brush handle. More specifically, the invention is a mechanical car wash foam brush handle that is only operable and useful when paid for by the self-serve car wash customer with foam flowing through it.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a mechanical car wash foam brush handle that prevents the misuse and abuse of the car wash brush. It is an object of the present invention to provide a car wash foam brush handle that utilizes an extendible internal piston to ensure that a user pays for one or more car wash brush services before using the foam brush.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a car wash foam brush handle that increases a self-serve car wash's revenue.
What is really needed is a car wash foam brush handle that prevents unpaid misuse and abuse of the car wash brush that utilizes an extendible internal piston to ensure that a user pays for the car wash brush before use that increases a self-serve car wash's revenue.
It is a final object of the present invention to provide a car wash water brush handle, which is operated at a pressure of 90 psi.